1. This car serves as a transportation vehicle for just about everything, carrying at least 2 Surftech Paddleboards and 2 bikes all at the same time!  And that is just on the outside of the vehicle.
2. Total lack of anonymity while driving around town… can’t be picking your nose while driving this vehicle!
3. Safely transports my swim cap and Aquasphere goggles on the rear bumper for a 40+mph drive home from the lake.  How does it do that?

Hip, hip, hooray!  If you’d like to learn more about this amazing and fun car, and give you a serious reason to cheer, check out the Ford Flex Online.

I’ve never been to Alabama, so it took me awhile to figure out what “Roll Tide” actually meant.  When I arrived to the airport, I suspected there would be many athletes on the only direct flight into Birmingham that day.  Well, that was an understatement.  Mark Fretta, Sara Haskins,  Matt Reed, Cameron Dye and I could go on and on and on.  There were also many National Team coaches and USAT Staff including Melissa Mantak, Barb Lindquist and Scott Schnitzpahn.  It was really good to catch up with everyone and I knew it was going to be a fun weekend.

After being in bed for 3 weeks with pneumonia, I was just happy to be in Tuscaloosa, but had dropped any kind of expectation for performance.  My plan was to use it as a solid training weekend racing the Olympic on Saturday and the Sprint on Sunday with Clearwater Ironman 70.3 World Championships next on the schedule.

Client Betsy and Coach Trista

With only one interval session on the bike and run earlier in the week, I knew Saturday was going to be bad.  I just didn’t realize how bad!  I got out of the water and headed out on the bike and after about 5 miles, I knew I needed to take it down a notch.  I was really struggling and the body wasn’t shifting into my top gear.  After about 1.5miles of riding easier, I was able to then dial it back up and felt pretty darn good. Then mile 17 came and I was tired!  Kind of hit the wall a bit.  I thought to myself this is all okay, let’s just make the run a training day.  I headed out into the 90 degree temps and high humidity and oddly enough, did not feel like the heat was limiting me.  My training on Isolation Island in Florida had really made me resistant to such conditions =)  Regardless, it was a long day on the run course for me, even though I ran the whole 10k.  I was just tired and was wondering how on earth I was going to race in the morning.

Sunday morning came and we had rain, rain, and more rain!  I felt tired and stiff but figured it’s just a little over an hour training session today.  Let’s just do this.  I felt great in the swim and thought, well, maybe I’ve blown out some cobwebs.  Well, I had done just that.  I felt like a Rockstar on the bike and held off a few on the run.  Fortunately, the clouds really let down only the last mile on the bike, so I high tailed it back as quick as I could to get off the bike and onto the run.  The run was solid for where I was at not running for weeks and I even held off a few the last stretch to the finish.  I ended up with a smile on my face and an okay finish of 8th place.  I felt good and really that is what I was grateful for after being down for weeks.

Running in the Rain: Photo Courtesy of Brian Nath

I will probably take my Team USA slot and race the World Championships in Beijing 2011 for the Sprint race.

A BIG SHOUT OUT TO:

-My client Betsy for placing 16th at AG Nats and qualifying for Team USA

-Coach Melissa for getting me to the race healthy

-Kerry for perspective

-TIMEX Cindi Bannink for coming out to cheer me on in the rain!  Your trash bag looked FAB!!

-My family for taking care of me when I was laid FLAT!!!!

-Photos by Brian Nath -Grasky Endurance Coaching and Dick Quinn

After either biking or running for ten consecutive days in a row I got home to do a six hour ride on Saturday morning.  Mind you I had only gotten 4.5 hours of sleep that night.  I rode at 4:30 to eat and get on the indoor trainer by 5am.  I biked for two hours and meet up with my next door neighbor at 7am for a 4 hour additional ride.  By the time the third hour came I knew my body was shot.  I was forced to pull over at SBUX and get a double espresso shot.  I completed the six hour ride.  Stretched, took a bath, and put on my compression pants and was off to teach my daughters soccer game – half a sleep mind you.  The next morning I need to swim and give my legs a day off from the pounding.  I tied one of my kids “noodles” to a rode tied to my waste, put on my brightest orange cap and did a 2m open water swim in Long Island Sound solo.  I know not so bright, but I could not find a buddy and I have been slacking on swimming.  It was a little spooky solo.  I guess what I am trying to say is with only two months left -  training for this event is taking over my life and some may add my better judgement.

I am off to bed because I have a 3:45am run before work.

Kona, Big Island, Hawai’i

Sunday, September, 26 2010

Executive summary

Timex Multisport Team veteran triathlete Stu Fitch wins the Kona Mango Man Triathlon by over 4 minutes.

Long version

Local Kona triathlon character Carl Ko’omoa hosted the pre-Ironman “Mango Man” triathlon race in Kona this morning.

The course starts with swimming to the half-way mark on the IM course, called “Kings Buoy”, for  a total return swim of 1.2mi (1.9k), followed by a “15 hilly miles” (24k) bike course, then a “6 hilly miles” run.

For those familiar with local geography, the bike ride goes from Ali’i Drive up Hualali Road, intersects with the Queen K Highway, and returns via the Kuakini Highway.  The bike is 3 laps, the run one lap of the same route.  There is a long punishing climb along Hualalai to the Queen K.

Logistics were simple.  No registration, no entry fee, time yourself, and no road closures.  Names were taken on exit from the water, and there was a drink station at the top end of the ride/run course.  Elegant simplicity.

The race started in wonderfully relaxed Hawai’i time, around 10 minutes late, after a short briefing and questions session from the ever-enthusiastic Carl.  The conditions were calm and clear.

First out of the water was an Australian veterinarian Ollie Wilkinson, who swam the English Channel in September last year, in around 11hrs.  Ollie is in Hawaii to swim the 9 mile (15k) Maui Channel, between Maui and Lanai, whilst his English wife Vickie is here to do the IM.

Ollie’s swim was just under 25 minutes, but he then doubled back to complete a total of 6 miles swimming (10ks) in preparation for his inter-island swim, leaving the triathlon race to others.

Second out of the water, maybe 6 minutes later, was me, then another 3 minutes to the next competitor.

The climb up Hualali Road was hell – lowest gear, out of the saddle and working as hard as my heart-beat would allow.  I was not surprised when a younger, nimbler and lighter competitor biked passed me and disappeared into the distance ahead.  I am well trained at getting passed on the bike.  Now I was second.  Hill climbing is my worst skill in my weakest leg, due no doubt to being a big bloke, 205lbs/93kg.

Cresting the Queen K and the chase was on, down on the aeros and peddling as hard as I could.  The bike down Kuakini saw my speed approaching 40mph (60+kph), and painfully slowly I made up time.  Maybe 1/2 mile (800m) before we turned right again to climb Hualali I passed this other competitor, who again passed me shortly into the hill.

This pattern repeated itself on lap 2.

On the third and final lap my tormentor was not as far ahead, but try as I may I could not catch him – he really worked that final downhill section well.  He led me by maybe 100 yards into transition, where I was puzzled to see him genially chatting with Carl.  And not long before the bike finish I hear this etherial voice yell “Stoooooooo”, and I wave feebly in non-recognition.

Off on the run and who should run up beside me but fellow Team Timex member Barry Siff.  ”Hi Stoooooo!” he enthusiastically greets me again.  Mustering as much dignity as I can from my addled brain I say “Hi Barry – I’m in the middle of a race”.  ”Ahh!” with some surprise “What race is that?”.  ”Mango Man”, and I continue to stride hard.  ”I think I am in second, but I am not sure if the bloke ahead is in a team or not”.  Barry breaks off contact, despite my strong urge to stop and have a long chat, having not seen Barry since Timex Team Camp in February.

Hualali Hill looms, and I can sense that the bloke ahead is not running as fast as me, and I slowly reduce the gap, with furtive glances over my shoulder.  We pass, or more to the  point I draw alongside – life is all going on in pathetic slow-motion; I am operating at 20,000 feet (6,100m) through an oxygen-depletion fog.

Again, another chit chat opportunity, and he tells me that he is in a team, to relax into my stride, and that he is not a runner.  What a nice guy!

I relax into my stride, come to the last punishing rise before the Queen K; time to really start getting some pace.  I am haunted by this specter of a fast runner, real or imagined, just two yards behind me, just about to pass.  I increase my pace to screaming point, the downhill on Kuakini, and I am flying.  Flying as fast as I can, because just as I am a lousy/hopeless uphill runner, my weight proves a real advantage downhill.  The more time I spend in the air, the less time and effort I need to waste on the ground.

More furtive glances and I cannot see anyone.  But I still have an ogre just two yards behind, that I cannot get out of my head.  On I press, ogre relentlessly pushing me.

Then I am all alone on Alii Drive.  An odd feeling, running hard, hurting, like finishing the IM, but there is no one there.  Then across the line to the lone cheering of Carl.  The pain is over.

Total time of 2hrs 00mins 30seconds.  Splits of 1.2mi/1.9k swim 30mins 59sec – 15mi/24k bike 48mins 48secs – 6mi/9.7k run 40mins43sec.

Second place was 4mins 06secs behind me, the team bloke I passed on the hill, in a sprint finish with a guy from the Czech Republic called Milan.

A fun, friendly local race, where everyone encourages everyone, and then everyone stands around chatting long after the race is done.  I look forward to Mango Man #2 in 4 weeks time.

Background

This is my seventh time racing the Chicago Triathlon. My first was at age ten in the Chicago kid’s triathlon at which I was disqualified due to failing to complete the 2^nd loop of the bike course. I raced again the following year, then took a twelve year hiatus to return in 2005 at age 24. This first year back I distinctly remember watching the overall amateur female winner receive her award. She finished in 2:11; I admired her thinking; some day I’ll get to that level. At the time I was not training optimally, I would run 3-5 miles 3 times per week, ride my bike a few miles here and there and swim occasionally. I was also going out quite a bit and smoking ½ a pack a day. So I guess you can say I’ve come a long way in 5 years. 

2010 Report

There were two elite waves, one of men under 40 and the second of women and men over 40. I decided to start closer to the sea wall in an attempt to avoid the chaos, I was successful in doing so. As we started I broke away from the pack with a few men and little contact from other swimmers. I swam at a faster pace for 400 yards to the first turn buoy.

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to find a great draft from anyone, therefore I did my own thing swimming through lake Michigan.  I was feeling surprisingly good back in the water after missing a large amount of training due to my broken clavicle. It’s not fully healed, but it was functional enough to get by.

Swim: 22:48

After the ¼ mile barefoot run to transition, I was told by coach Sharone that I was 20 seconds back from the lead female, I passed her in transition 1. Now I was first female to get on the bike.

As I headed up lakeshore drive I was mixed in with the men from wave 1. Throughout the first loop I couldn’t shake this guy racing in a rainbow speedo. Every time I passed him he would come around and pass me back on the left side (illegal: Chicago Tri enforces passing only on the right). At the completion of loop one I was finally able to drop him and ride my own race. A few miles into loop 2 my friend Marc caught and passed me. I decided to mess with him a bit and re-pass Marc, of course he hammered away to catch back up and took off from there. I rode the rest of the race without issue, completing the bike portion still in the lead.

Bike: 1:03.2

Hopping off the bike and entering transition I felt my pulled groin immediately. I came into this race with no run training for 6 weeks. My expectation for the run was low but I wanted to see what I could still do. To my surprise once I got going through the cheering crowds I was able to hold a decent pace. The awareness of injury was there with every step, but I continued on. As the miles ticked away I started feeling better and better, like my old self again running.

Coming up around mile 3 I got a glimpse of Marc in front of me, I was gaining on him. By mile 4 I passed, giving a nice booty smack as I ran by. At the turn around I was able to spot the other women, it looked like I was going to pull this one off. Rounding mile 5 I started to slow down, Marc caught back up to me, telling me he would steal my finish tape (see HyVee Triathlon blog)

I kicked it back in to finish the race, but that last mile was unimpressive.

Run: 40:54

Tri: 2:09.41

My goal pre-injury was to break 2:10 in the Chicago Triathlon. Due to the size of this race, the transition area is massive and therefore causes long transition times.

I was ecstatic to break 2:10, to think back 5 years ago admiring the lead women. I had now become her. Unfortunately 2 hours later during the awards ceremony I found that I had been given 2 penalties on the bike.

1) positioning – riding on right side for 25 seconds while passing

2) drafting – in draft zone for 10 excess seconds.

Both above penalties are considered “judgment calls” therefore cannot be contested. The head referee was unable to tell me where they were given.  I have to assume rainbow Speedo man was involved in both. I received a penalty at age 10 and here I am 18 years later receiving another.

I do not agree with either penalties, although I have learned that when leading a race I’m watched under a microscope. I have read the entire USAT Race Rules, and this will be my final penalty.

Marc, Ashley and I post race

Gavin, Joel and I at the finish line